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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Dobrow: How long before A’s fans turn on Beane’s philosophy?

The Green, Gold and White Lotus Rebellion has begun!

2. Concede that third base is an organizational blind spot: In his prime, Eric Chavez slew right-handed pitchers for sport and was nigh-Brooksian with the glove. Now, he’s a frustration encased in a body cast, especially when you consider the $15 million ($12M for 2010 plus a $3M buyout) he’s still owed. Sure, there’s a chance Chavez’s achy-breaky back, neck, rotator cuffs, obliques, ankles, wrists, quads, ACLs, MCLs, PCLs, LCLs, toes and ears might heal in time for spring training. That, however, assumes rapid-fire advances in torso-transplantation technology.

So it’s time to acknowledge the obvious—that Chavez can’t play competitive baseball with impaired motor function—and set about filling third base with something other than a placeholder. The A’s snared an elite third-base prospect, Brett Wallace, when they excommunicated Holliday, but his defense is largely theoretical. He’s as likely to be the long-term answer at first base or DH as at third.

I’d make a play for another organization’s lapsed prospect. Alex Gordon is rotting away in Kansas City, a pawn in the team’s endless game of Punch Selves In Genitalia. Or how about L.A. Anaheim’s Brandon Wood, still only 24 and without a place to play if the Angels re-up Chone Figgins? The Angels could use some of Oakland’s bullpen depth; the Royals could use pretty much anything the A’s will give. Neither addition would be precluded by the A’s recent signing of Dallas McPherson, who makes Cust look like a multidimensional offensive threat.

Repoz Posted: November 25, 2009 at 08:13 PM | 15 comment(s)
  Related News: GeneralSabermetricsOakland

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   1. mr. man  Posted: November 25, 2009 at 10:04 PM (#3397170)
somehow i doubt you'll get Wood or Gordon for Michael Wuertz. Just sayin'.
   2. Snowboy  Posted: November 25, 2009 at 10:15 PM (#3397175)
nigh-Brooksian with the glove


Yeah, right. Give me a call when Chavez gets traded for a HOF catcher, then moves to SS. Chavez has never even been an All-Star!
Talk about exaggerating to make a point, comparing Chavez to the likes of Hubie Brooks.
   3. Lassus  Posted: November 25, 2009 at 10:51 PM (#3397186)
Dobrow: How long before A’s fans turn on Beane’s philosophy?

When Shooty gets done watching "Pi", I'm sure he'll have a reasonably surreal/dada response to this question.
   4. greenback  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 12:13 AM (#3397208)
somehow i doubt you'll get Wood or Gordon for Michael Wuertz.

About Wood... geez, Salt Lake City's park factors are like the fog of war. Nobody knows how anybody's doing down there.
   5. Superunknown Gary Geiger Counter  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 12:45 AM (#3397215)
I thought Dobrow OD'd on coke in Vegas two years ago.
   6. Ivan Grushenko of Hong Kong  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 01:29 AM (#3397221)
Not yet.
   7. BarrettsHiddenBall  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 02:01 AM (#3397227)
Assuming they can find enough seniors to sign the petition and vote it in, there's no way this stands up in court, right?

ELIMINATES STATE INCOME AND PROPERTY TAXES FOR ALL RESIDENTS 55 YEARS OLD AND OLDER. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. Exempts California residents who are 55 years old or older from paying state income and property taxes. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: Annual state revenue losses of $15 billion or more due to new exemptions on personal income and estate taxation. Annual local government revenue losses of $5 billion to $10 billion due to new exemptions on property taxes.
   8. AJM  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 02:12 AM (#3397231)
Exempts California residents who are 55 years old or older from paying state income and property taxes.

The state is trying to help Sabean lure free agents.
   9. Dr Stankus and the Semicolons  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 02:17 AM (#3397233)
Concede that third base is an organizational blind spot


I'm pretty sure that Beane knows that this isn't what he wanted at 3B...arguing that he's got a blind spot here seems silly.

A blind spot is across the Bay, where Sabean thinks that Eugenio Velez is a LF.
   10. SteveF  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 02:35 AM (#3397235)
A law which taxes people differently solely on the basis of their age would very likely violate the 14th amendment.
   11. HOPE: Madison Obamagarner (Flynn)  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 08:52 AM (#3397269)
I doubt you'll get 700,000 seniors to vote to even get it on the ballot. Even seniors aren't that self-interested.

Though it'd be one hell of a birthday present for my dad, since he turns 55 next January.
   12. Zach  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 10:41 AM (#3397291)
I suppose Gordon could be had for the right price, but what's the right price for a player who has lots of upside and no real competition at his position?

Maybe you could move Callaspo to third and give second to Getz? I'm not sure I'd want to go into a season with Josh Fields as the starter.
   13. Shooty Did Not Kill McGurk  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 11:22 AM (#3397303)
When Shooty gets done watching "Pi", I'm sure he'll have a reasonably surreal/dada response to this question.

I ended up watching the new Jarmusch movie Limits of Control.

Anyway, if you eliminate all the Moneyball hand wringing and the attempted cute-ness, the article is reasonable. The A's need a veteran pitcher (just keep Duke!), a 3rd baseman and they need to sort out the outfield. It's actually a pretty team to analyze this offseason, in a macro-sense. The micro decisions will be subtle, though. Get to it, Billy.
   14. Edmundo is Super Average Man  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 11:42 AM (#3397313)
Though it'd be one hell of a birthday present for my dad, since he turns 55 next January.

Ugh, now I really feel old.
   15. Toolsy McClutch  Posted: November 26, 2009 at 02:45 PM (#3397379)
Yikes, what an unfortunately written article. Bill Simmons is turning over in his grave.
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